Our much anticipated & highly longed-for 9-day trip to WDW

Travel dates: May 25 thru June 2, 2007
Travel method: Southwest Airlines, & Magical Express
Resort: Caribbean Beach Resort, Trinidad South
Accommodations: Standard
Ages Represented in Group: Mom & Dad (40s) 10yr son, 6yr daughter
WDW Experience Represented in Group: Mom & Dad, 5th (incl 1x each as a child) Kids, 3rd trip
Comments: Also met up w/several other families while there; cousins--mom, dad & 10yr old son; friends--mom, dad, twin 10yr sons, 5yr son; grandparents.

Day 1, Friday, May 25

Up @ 4:00 am for the trip to the airport. Flight leaves on-time @ 6:30 am. I picked this flight to get us to the World as early as possible. Not everybody was happy with me @ 4:00 am, but were much happier when we arrived @ the park (Epcot) by 10:30 Orlando time. Southwest Airlines did a great job. Kids especially enjoyed it 'cause it was their first flight.

Magical Express from the airport went without a hitch. We were the first stop, Caribbean Beach Resort. It was still rather early, so our room was not ready, so we left our carry-on bags with bell services, re-packed our "park backpack" & headed out. Caught the bus from the Barbados bus stop, 'cause it's right across the street from the Customs House. We'd been waiting for maybe 5 mins when the Epcot bus pulled up & we were off !!

Disney transportation was extremely quick & efficient the whole time we were there. I never once wished that we'd had a car. I much prefer to let Disney handle the driving while I'm on vacation. There was one small glitch, and while annoying, it was really more amusing than upsetting in the overall scheme of things--but I'll get to that later.

Epcot is just a fantastic park. It's quickly inching up on MK on my favorites list. The more time I spend there, the more I like it. Crowds were rather large (approaching Memorial Day weekend), but not overpowering. We used FastPass a lot. We quickly grabbed FPs for Soarin' as soon as we entered the park. Then went to try our luck on M:S. Wait times were maybe 10-15 mins, so my son & I went directly to Orange, while my wife & daughter went for Green. I LOVE that ride. The "gravity assisted sling-shot around the moon" is incredible. After we exited, my wife said the Green really doesn't measure up to Orange (she'd ridden Orange the last time we were there), so from then on, we all went on Orange.

We rode the new Nemo ride in The Seas. It was cute, but nothing that any of us were dying to ride again. Ate lunch @ Electric Umbrella, and were really surprised @ how short the lines were. Good burgers--Oh yeah, we were on the Disney Dining plan again. And even though my son is 10 & has to pay adult prices, with a pseudo adult-sized appetite, I still feel we came out ahead than if we'd paid "out of pocket." In addition, we never had to worry about the menu prices when ordering; there's just a lot of convenience, as well as cost effectiveness, incorporated into that plan. It was now time for our FPs on Soarin'. I can't say enough about that ride. Exciting & relaxing at the same time. I could ride it over & over. Afterwards, we worked our way around World Showcase, enjoying the sights, sounds, smells & tastes, until we met up with my cousin's family in Norway, just prior to our dinner ADRs @ San Angel Inn in Mexico. Great dinner, once again. And the atmosphere--an outside Mexican marketplace, on the banks of the River of Time, @ twilight, with a Mayan pyramid & softly rumbling volcano in the distance--how can you beat it. After dinner we rode the new Donald Duck ride, very enjoyable, and Donald has always been one of my favorite characters.

By now, it was time to stake out our places for Illuminations. We got a really good spot between Mexico & the World Showcase entrance, about 30 mins before the show. Illuminations continues to amaze me every time I see it. It is absolutely one of my very favorite attractions in the World--the music, the lasers, the fireworks, the lights, the fountains--the perfect way to end the first day. Bus transportation back to CBR was efficient, if rather crowded. But that's OK. I much prefer that to handling the driving hassles myself. Our room turned out to be in Trinidad South, 2nd floor of bldg 36--bright, clean & comfortable. And very quiet @ night.

Day 2, Saturday, May 26

I'm up before the sun, for my traditional walk to Old Port Royale for coffee. This is perhaps the part of a Disney vacation that I look forward to most. The theming @ CBR is so beautifully tropical & the walk along the shores of the lake is very pleasant, especially before sunrise. I take my coffee, sit @ a table beside the fountain, and listen to the water, the birds & the tropical music that's playing even that early. Just through the trees I can see Mickey's wand & Epcot's Spaceship Earth, which gradually fade from view as the sky brightens. After Old Port Royale opens, I go in to browse for a few minutes--deciding on the souvenirs I'll purchase later in the week. Then I head back to the room, where the rest of the family has been still a-snooze until a wake-up call from Mickey. When we're all ready, we walk out our door, down the steps & are practically right @ the bus stop. After another very brief wait, the MGM bus pulls up and we're on our way.

This will be my daughter's first ride on Tower of Terror, & she's pumped! (She's also finally tall enough to ride Space Mtn, & Everest) We're there before park-open (that's the only way to do it), & head straight for ToT. She has just a little bit of trepidation as we board the elevator, but after the ride she bounces out proclaiming that, "I wanna do it again!" We manage another ride or two, but also work in RnR (always a "must do"), and LMA (really good show, exciting & fun), and others before hopping to MK.

Our first view of the castle. This park is still my favorite. I know that some people are biased to the Anaheim park, but to me the MK is so much more majestic, with its expansive, park-like environment, the regal-looking castle that so dominates the skyline, and the typical approach that comes either over the lagoon, or via monorail--not just a turn off the highway. Main Street is busy; the park is already crowded. We use a lot of FastPasses. Splash, Space, Buzz & Big Thunder to name a few. We are finally able to catch Mickey's Philharmagic. A very enjoyable show. We hop on the People Mover for a tour of Tomorrowland when our feet get tired. Dinnertime brings around our ADR @ Crystal Palace for a date with Pooh & friends. We've never done the autograph thing, but pictures with characters are OK. Characters or not, Crystal Palace has a very good buffet that I always look forward to each trip we take. After dinner, we begin scouting out a place to watch Spectromagic. We find a good place in Liberty Square & settle in. We swap out getting snacks & taking restroom breaks as we wait for the parade to start. Lights, music, characters, this one is always entertaining. After the parade, we grab another ride on Splash & Big Thunder as the Wishes fireworks show explodes overhead. This is not our only visit to the MK, so we'll catch the whole fireworks show later. The bus ride back to CBR is quick & un-eventful, and we fall into bed with the thoughts of our next days adventures dancing in our heads (or something like that).

Day 3, Sunday, May 27

Sunday morning, so we first take a cab to a church that meets just off the Disney property, then another quick cab-ride back to Animal Kingdom. Today is Expedition Everest day. I cannot say enough about this magnificent ride. Others have said it before, but I'll echo the thought--the stand-by que is worth waiting in at least once to fully appreciate the detail that has gone into the overall design of this ride. It's amazing what the Imagineers can come up with to decorate the various buildings & pathways you wander through. The ride itself is outstanding. It has speed, it has height, it has surprises--and yes, it has the Yeti! Don't even think about missing it if you're there. We spent so much time @ Everest that we didn't to do a whole lot more. We did get doused on Kali River, spun around a bit on Primeval Whirl (that’s one that my little girl is not yet tall enough to ride, so she & my cousin did the Triceratops Spin while we Whirled). We also enjoyed a quick frozen beverage in Dinoland, but pretty soon had to head back toward the other end of the World for our ADR @ ‘Ohana.

Ah, never-ending meat. I love this place. The kids also enjoyed the coconut races & other activities designed for them. After gorging ourselves for nearly an hour, we went out & wandered among the beauty of the Polynesian Resort--spent some time on their beach where the kids built a sand castle. But having park hopper tickets, we couldn’t resist the call of being so close to the MK once again. This was once again an extra magic hours night, so we had plenty of time if we wanted to take it. We took a more leisurely pace, but did decide to make this our Wishes night. The bridge between the hub & Tomorrowland turned out to have some space left for us, so we hung out there until the show. Afterwards, my wife took Emily back to CBR as the rest of us worked in a few more rides before we too collapsed.

Day 4, Monday, May 28 -- Memorial Day

This morning, Melissa & the kids decided to sleep in, but I wanted to get to Epcot & ride Soarin’, Mission:Space & Test Track as quickly as I could before the holiday crowd settled in. After my morning coffee & walk to Old Port Royale, I got back to the room & got ready to go in time to catch the bus & be @ Epcot about 1/2 hr before rope drop. As soon as the cast members started walking us toward Soarin’ I got a FastPass, then power walked back across Future World to Test Track. The single riders line was open so I jumped in there & was on the ride in a matter of minutes. That final lap around the building is still quite a thrill, even after multiple rides. After TT, I went straight to Mission:Space and got in the 10 minute stand-by line for Orange. I love this ride. Each time immediately @ the start, I get a split-second of disorientation, but it goes away quickly as I concentrate on my screen. The G-forces, & other sights, sounds & effects on this ride are, in my opinion, top notch. I grew up watching the Apollo astronauts walk on the moon, and wondering what it would be like to take such a trip, so this ride has a very special attraction to me. After landing successfully on Mars (I’m glad everybody punched the right buttons during our flight) I re-crossed FW to Soarin’. My FastPass was ready so once again I was in the pre-show in a matter of minutes. The sights, the sounds, the smells of this ride...it’s not a “thrill ride” in the typical sense of the term, but it’s a ride I can do again & again, and come away completely entertained every time. So by now I’d finished my task for the morning; ridden the 3 big ones w/in about an hour & 15 mins.

Back @ CBR, the rest of the family was finally up & getting ready to go to the food court for breakfast & then the pool. While I love the CBR pool, I don’t enjoy ANY pool with so many love bugs around. Those nasty little bugs were present for the whole trip, and were a bit annoying from time to time, but @ the pool today they were practically overwhelming. We did meet a nice family from Toronto that we enjoyed talking to, but finally had had enough of bug-swatting so we headed back to the room to get ready to go to the Studios. Our ADRs tonight were @ Hollywood & Vine with the Fantasmic dinner package, but we got there early enough to catch a few more rides on ToT & RnR. We saw (heard?) Drew Carey in Sounds Dangerous, and the kids played for awhile in HISTK play area. Fantasmic is a great show. It’s so nice to have a while amphitheater dedicated to the show where you don’t have to try & reserve places on the banks of a river with strollers or blankets or whatever hours beforehand, but you can walk in, & sit down on a seat designed for you to sit in. The lights, the fire, the fireworks, the characters; once again, a great show.

More days to follow, but I'm sleepy now, so I'm going to bed. :D

Excellent report; looking forward to more. It's getting me really excited for my trip in 11 days!

Day 5, Tuesday May 29

Today Melissa, Emily & my cousin’s wife, Lynn, had ADRs for breakfast with Cinderella in her castle. Complete surprise to Emily so she was thrilled. The rest of us guys also took advantage of the early magic hours @ MK & tried to get in some quick rides on Space Mtn, etc. Unfortunately Space was down that morning. Even being one of the first in the park, the line was out the door, almost to the Astro Orbiter pavilion. I guess since the ride was down, they were holding people just inside the door & not letting the line get all the way to the ride.

When they finally came out & announced that the ride was down & there was no ETA for up-ness, we cut over to Buzz & had a ball there. That’s another one that’s not a typical “thrill” ride, but deserves its “E-ticket” designation because it’s just FUN ! By now the majority of early magic hours had bypassed us & Space was still not running. We went to Fantasyland & flew with Peter Pan, then got in line for It’s A Small World. I can’t say IASW is the most anticipated ride, but one that we ride, just because—it’s not really a trip to the MK w/out a trip around the world on IASW.

By now the girls had finished their breakfast & met up with us as we were heading on toward Frontierland. Haunted Mansion awaited us in Liberty Square. It actually seemed to be running well—I only noticed maybe one glitch in the soundtrack. We then went on to Splash & picked up FastPasses, and then hopped on BTMRR for a quick ride around the “wildest ride in the wilderness” making sure to hang on to our hats and glasses.

We wound our way back around to Tomorrowland & saw the new Monster’s Inc Laugh Floor show. It was rather good. Amusing & not too corny. Then, since it was so convenient, we got on Stitch’s Great Escape---NEVER AGAIN!!! That ride/show/whatever is about a pointless as anything I’ve ever experienced. That was the general consensus of our whole group—it’s pretty much a waste of space/time/effort.

Since we still had a little bit before our Splash-passes were ready, we went to Toon Town to enjoy Goofy’s Barnstormer—just a silly kids rollercoaster, but one that all of us enjoy anyway. We were a bit surprised, but pleased, at how short the line was, only about a 10min wait. Here’s where we threw another surprise @ the kids.

My parents had driven down and were meeting us @ the parks for a couple days. The kids were completely shocked to find their grandparents waiting as we got off the coaster. After the obligatory greetings & hugs, we all trekked back to Frontierland to use the FastPasses for Splash. That ride is one of my all time favorites. They had the water cannons turned up high today too, so needless to say, we all got off RATHER DAMP! :D

By now, my cousin & his family were going to go back & visit Epcot again. This was their last day here, and they wanted to try & catch the headliners @ Epcot one more time before being picked up by Magical Express back @ their resort. So we bid them adieu and the rest of us took off toward a hot dog lunch @ Casey’s Corner. My mom loves a good hot dog & had read about Casey’s in one of her guide books, so she was dying to try it. Not too bad actually, and a fun environment.

The rest of the day we rode Pirates (the lifelikeness of Capt Jack Sparrow contiues to amaze me on that one), saw the Tiki Birds (I don’t care what anybody else says, I’ve always liked Iago so this version does appeal to me on a certain level), enjoyed a couple of Dole Whips & Mickey premium ice cream bars, and worked in more rides on Peter Pan & IASW for the grandparents sake.

Our ADR for dinner today was @ Liberty Tree Tavern. Very good, Thanksgiving Dinner-type meal. My parents were not on the Dining Plan, and are not big eaters @ suppertime anyway, so they did not join us. After the character dinner, we did meet back up with them for awhile before watching Spectromagic together from Frontierland. After the parade, we tried to get back to Tomorrowland for another round on Buzz. It had been a long day, and the 60 min wait was not too appealing. Since all FastPasses were already gone, we decided to catch Wishes again & call it a night.

Tonight was the one, not-so-positive experience we had on Disney transportation. We waited with everybody @ the CBR bus stop and the bus pulled up to let some folks off who were apparently hopping back to MK to catch another bus, or pick up their car or whatever. After they exited, we all piled on the bus, crowded again, but that’s ok, you expect that. Everybody’s tired, kids are asleep, so nobody’s really paying attention, until after awhile a voice pipes up & says, “You’re going the wrong way!” I look out the window & see that the bus is about to pull into the All Stars resorts. Turns out the driver had pulled into the wrong bus stop @ MK, and during the loading process, nobody had said anything one way or another. He was supposed to be taking a load of All Stars guests, but instead he had a load of CBR guests. After a bit of discussion, we finally figured out what happened. The driver turned around & got us all back to CBR, a bit later than we’d hoped, but we arrived safely. Frustrating, sure. Enough to get angry about, nah. Whether I’m @ CBR or All Stars or on a bus between the two, I’m @ WDW, so I’m happy.

A long day, but it lead to a good night’s sleep. :D

I love this report! Thanks for writing it! Can't wait to hear more about it.

Day 6, Wednesday, May 30

OK, call me a geek, but I really wanted to see the MK opening show, and get it on video :geek: . This was to be our only morning that we would be @ MK for opening, on a non-early magic hours day. So we got up in time to get there for the opening show. Fun & magical, maybe. Corny, probably; don’t ask me why, but I just wanted to have it on video.

We also wanted to get early rides on Space Mtn, Splash Mtn, & BTMRR too. We rode Space twice in a row before the crowds built too much. Then got a FastPass for Splash & went next door to BTMRR while its stand-by line was still tolerable. Turns out we rode Big Thunder twice too, but when we got off after the 2nd time the stand-by wait was already more than 30 mins. Our Splash FastPass was ready so we rode it and managed to avoid the BIG splashes for the most part.

At this point, Melissa wanted to take Emily to the Carrousel and Dumbo, ‘cause she hadn’t done either of these yet on this trip. While they rode the Carrousel, Drew & I went to the Haunted Mansion & tried to decide one more time whether or not to volunteer to be the 1000th ghost—we decided not, again, although we did enjoy the ride. We got done with HM in time for Drew to join them in line for Dumbo. He got his own private elephant to ride in, & I got some pretty good pictures of them on one of the rides that just screams DISNEY.

Now it was time to hop to Epcot. We were going to meet my parents again, after they finally got up :rolleyes: & made it there to ride Soarin’. No doubt in my mind what their favorite ride was on the whole trip. I think they would have ridden it over & over if that had been possible. They were very impressed by the entire thing.

For lunch, Drew got some Asian concoction in Sunshine Seasons, I think. But the rest of us got fish & chips in the UK. We were also able to grab a couple outside tables in the shade.

The rest of the afternoon, we worked our way around World Showcase, taking time to really enjoy each pavilion. The garden train display between Germany & Italy was a big draw for my dad. And Emily wanted to finish her Kidcot mask by picking up the trinkets from each pavilion. We rode Maelstrom in Norway, and Emily had to buy one of the Viking helmets with the blonde pigtails hanging out of it. How are we gonna pack that thing for the flight home on the airplane ?!?!

Our ADRs for dinner tonight were @ the Contemporary in Chef Mickeys. So we left the grandparents enjoying Epcot, and hopped on the monorail again for the return trip toward MK. Pretty good buffet here. Great character interaction. We even bought the family picture they take just before they seat you @ your table. And the big thing here tonight for me was DONALD. I had on my Donald t-shirt, and I had my picture made with him, so this was definitely one of the highlights of the trip for me ;) .

After dinner, we went back to Epcot again. We actually got to ride in the front of the monorail from the Contemporary to the TTC. That was a fun experience. Each of us got Official Honorary Monorail Pilot cards.

My parents had secured pretty good seats for Illuminations near Mexico. We joined them & just enjoyed watching the evening wind down, as the fireworks show started winding up. To me Illuminations is the best fireworks extravaganza Disney puts together. I could easily watch is night after night, but there is a lot else that we want to do as well, so we pick & choose our nights. My parents loved Illuminations as well, so it was a great way to end their Disney visit. They’re leaving Pop Century in the morning, continuing their vacation @ a beach somewhere. They’re not even sure where yet, just know they're going to a beach—must be nice to be retired.

Even though we stayed ‘til the end of Illuminations, this is still the earliest we’ve been in since our first night, I guess. I’m starting to get tired. Not as young as I used to be, I guess :( . At least no bus fiasco tonight. Disney transportation was smooth once again. :D

Day 7, Thursday, May 31

The whole family wants to do the Soarin'/Test Track/Mission:Space thing I did by myself on Monday. So it was an uneventful trip to the park. After we're let through the turnstiles, I go toward the Soarin' side of the park to get FastPasses, while the rest of them make a run for Test Track.

They wait for me just outside the entrance, so we all go in together after I picked up our Soarin' FastPasses. The line is very short, since it's still very early. The pre-show puts together all the tests we're going to do--including that surprise one (barrier crash test--oooh, I hope they're kidding on that one!). The ride has a very short stand-still moment just as we're testing our Anti-lock Brake system ,but other than that very smooth operation. We go through all our tests, and OH NO, THEY WEREN'T KIDDING ABOUT THE BARRIER CRASH TEST !!! HANG ON !!!! .... Whew, we made it. That lap around the high banked, high speed track is very fun.

After TT, we go next door to Mission:Space. The stand-by wait for Orange was 10 mins, very tolerable, so we all four hop right in. Emily will get her first experience with the high intensity version. She & Melissa did the Green team earlier in the trip, but were less than impressed with it. She shows no hesitancy as we are all assigned our duties for the flight. We climb in the capsule & I'm still wondering how this petite little 6 year old girl is going to handle the G-forces and other effects of the ride. No worries, she laughed, giggled & cheered all the way through the ride. As soon as the doors opened after the ride she bounced out, announcing for all to hear that she wanted to do it again!!! And proceeded to lead us all the way back around and jumped right back in the que for Orange once again. So much for our Test Track/Mission:Space/Soarin' 1-2-3 punch this moring. Oh well, the wait was still @ 10 mins, and we had FastPasses for Soarin' so we're fine.

After Mars landing part deux, we took off back across FW toward Soarin' to use our FPs. On the way we happened upon a performance by the Jammitors just outside Innoventions. We stopped to watch, 'cause they put on an incredibly fun show. They are a percussion/rhythm band that uses ordinary household trash cans, lids, pots, etc to make their music--very good, I highly recommend them if you get a chance.

At Soarin' we just continued to be extremely impressed. We've already done this one several times on this trip, but it DOES NOT get old. You can smell the evergreen trees, the orange blossoms, and feel the breeze in your face. One thing I wish they could have incorporated into the experience is if you could also feel the mist as you skim over the crashing waves. But I'm not complaining. As soon as we got off we went back & picked up add'l FastPasses for it. Already the FP return time was way on into the afternoon, after 5:00, I think.

So now we started making our way toward World Showcase once again (I could spend days there). It was not quite 11:00 yet, so after we got through Canada & the UK, the rope was still up before France. We took this opportunity to sit & rest for a few minutes. It had been a rather fast-paced week, although not as hectic as some trips in the past because we did have more time to spread things out.

Before too long, they opened WS, and we strolled on across the bridge into France. We really took our time & enjoyed each country's pavilion along the way. We made it around to the American Adventure intending to have a funnel cake from the little shop there. Unfortunately it was not open yet (and was covered with those nasty love bugs too, so it was not especially appetizing at the moment anyway). Change in plans--back to Morocco for lunch. We had a combination of the lamb & chicken platters with the couscous and all those other ethnic delights--very good !! Yes, we ate too much, even for lunch.

We finally did make it back around to the American pavilion with enough room left in our tummies for all four of us to share 1 funnel cake. The shop was open, and had cleaned off most of the love bugs. As we were finishing, the fife & drum corps came out, and the kids took part in that. They got a copy of the Declaration of Independence, and were christened Sons & Daughters of Liberty. Pretty good show. After that we followed everybody inside the building for a performance of the Voices of Liberty. Very VERY good!!! My wife & I both are former a cappella singers from our college days and always appreciate a performance like that. But I have to say this is one of the better ones we have ever seen. Not only were their voices good, but they were very personable, and were very good "entertainers" as well as good singers.

After their performance we were dragging just a bit. We'd already been to Epcot so much that we decided we could sacrifice a few hours & go back to the resort to rest/swim/nap/whatever. Oh boy did we. No sooner did we hit the room, than we all crashed -- for several hours. Eventually the kids did get up & swam for awhile while Melissa washed a few clothes in the laundry down by the pool.

Finally it was time to head back to Epcot--our dinner was @ the Biergarten this evening. We'd never eaten there before, so we were not exactly sure what to expect. We were seated at the table with another family who were DVC members (hmmm, interesting concept there ;) ). The atmosphere is an outside courtyard in a small German town for an evening Oktoberfest celebration. The full moon is shining down on the trees whose leaves have already started changing colors for fall. A stage in the center provides the venue for a German oompah/polka band to provide a very entertaining show. And there's a dance floor in front that was mostly populated by kids. In fact, Emily had a ball there. She took her Donald Duck with her, and I think they wound up doing some "6 yr old" line dancing with Donald participating too. The food was great too. Schnitzel-this, and schnatzel-that, etc etc. Very delicious, and VERY filling.

When we were finally able to drag ourselves out of the Oktoberfest, we decided to try & use our Soarin' FP's now even though it was several hours after our designated return time. We'd also picked up Test Track fast passes earlier as well, so we had a pretty good arsenal at our disposal. As twilight gave way to evening, we decided to ride Soarin' first because it's all inside, then save Test Track for after later, because part of it is outside and we'd never ridden it @ night before. Of course there was no problem using the Soarin' FPs so we got to enjoy it one more time, as well as Test Track

This was an Extra Magic Hours evening @ Epcot, and while we had the armbands, we decided Soarin' & Test Track would be our last rides of the day anyway. We made our way out of Epcot, feeling pretty sure that this was our last visit here during this trip. But very confident that we'd done just about everything & anything that we possibly could have wanted to already.

Tomorrow morning would be another Animal Kingdom day, and we were pumped about hitting Everest once again!

Day 8, Friday, June 1

Time to go explore Animal Kingdom again. It's late in the trip, and we're all just a bit worn out. We didn't get out of the room as early today as we have in the past, so we got to AK about 30 mins after park-open. Bus was a little more crowded @ this time of day, but still OK. As soon as we got in, we headed straight back to Everest.

Surprisingly we found the standby line to be only 30 mins. So we picked up FastPasses & jumped right in the regular line. Again, there's just so much detail in this que, so much "stuff" to look @ you really don't even feel like you're waiting in line. They actually make you feel like you're walking through an equipment shop, being outfitted for your expedition, then you're visiting a museum of the Yeti. Anyway, we make it to the train, and bravely face the Yeti, with all four of us thoroughly enjoying the experience--even Emily's Donald Duck rode with us. When we exit, we notice that the standby line now says 20 minutes--well, never ones to look a gift horse in the mouth (What exactly does that mean? I've heard that expression for years, but I really don't know what a gift horse is, nor do I understand why you would want to look @ one's mouth.), we jumped right back in line since our FPs were not quite ready yet. Incredible experience--I say "experience" because Expedition Everest is really a whole lot more than just a "ride." Anyway, once we exit from this trip, our FPs are good so we go for a three-peat. This time when we arrive @ the train, we ask to sit in the front car. There's another line specifically for the front car, but it's a rather insignificant wait, so before we know it, we're sitting down in the FRONT of the train !! Being in the front really does pump the experience up another notch. The view from the ride & the visuals of the ride are different/better from the front--not so much that I think I'd wait for the front EVERY time, but enough to make that extra wait worthwhile every now & then.

After Everest, its lunchtime & we get to go somewhere that we've been looking forward to for the whole trip--Flame Tree BBQ. I love the ribs here, tender, juicy & oh so smoky. We order three rib platters and one adult fruit platter (that one was my wife's idea; to make the whole meal a little more healthy) so we share the three rib platters among all four of us, and we all get some fruit. I suppose a little bit of "healthy eating" is OK ;) . We have a table down close to the river; well shaded & very pleasant. Several ducks come by as if to say, "So, you gonna share?" We DON'T share so they pretty much move on. I've seen times where someone shares a little bit with one duck, and in just a moment is seems like every bird in Animal Kingdom gets the word & comes by to get a bite.

When we're completely full (not a difficult task @ Flame Tree), we move toward the front of the park where we've arranged to meet another family of friends. My wife's former college roommate & her family have lunch reservations @ Rainforest Cafe--we haven't seen them in several years, so we spend a few minutes visiting & sharing our various Disney experiences. When their lunchtime rolls around, we decide it's time for us to move on as well.

A quick bus ride back to CBR for another round of resting/swimming/etc. We can also sense the tropical storm starting to move in. Apparently Orlando was to be hit by the extreme outer edges of the storm as it moved across Florida. During this whole trip, we'd only had one other very very brief rain shower. In fact, the only way we knew that it had rained was that we found puddles on the ground after we exited Star Tours about a week earlier, so weather-wise we'd had it really nice.

Anyway, when we boarded the bus to go back to the MK, we found the rain just starting to fall. Not heavy, but enough to know it was actually raining. We stopped & bought ponchos and just kept going. We actually put them on & off a couple different times during the evening as the rain started & stopped. We managed another ride on Buzz before our dinner ADRs @ Tony's Town Square. I think this was only our 2nd dinner on the whole trip that was not either buffet or family style all-you-can-eat. But we certainly got full, enjoyed the meal, and had good deserts too.

After dinner, the rain was still just enough to need the ponchos. We made our way up Main Street to get our picture made in front of the castle with our ponchos on. We couldn't find a Photo Pass photographer, but we did find another kind CM who was nice enough to make our picture with our camera. We spent a while doing nothing more really than just soaking up the MK atmosphere. This was to be our last visit to the MK on this trip, so we took time to savor the experience one more time. We were about "ridden out" but WDW's MK is so majestic, the castle is so regal-looking, we didn't want to leave, but knew it was time to.

We were leaving just a bit early, so the busses were not really crowded at all. As we drove off, we tried not to think that this was the last time we'd see Cinderella Castle on this trip, but look forward to one more park visit tomorrow (Studios), before Magical Express picked us up tomorrow evening for our flight home. :crying:

My understanding of that phrase goes as follows...

You can tell the age of a horse by looking at their teeth. You can also tell how well the horse has been treated the same way. It is kind of like looking at the growth rings in trees. You "don't look gift horses in the mouth" because its an insult to the giver. You are checking to see how old/ close to death the animal is and during the early years of our country having a horse, any horse was important, so you should gracefully take the gift of the horse without checking its age and health (looking it in the mouth) and be happy.

Loving the trip report!

We are looking forward to our trip to Caribbean Beach in September.:)

Day 9, Saturday June 2

Our last day. Magical Express is to pick us up @ 5:30 this afternoon for our return trip to the airport.

The morning starts rainy. Looks like that tropical storm decided to drop some precipitation on us. Looking @ the weather radar on TV, it could clear up later, or not. But we need the morning anyway to finish our packing & get our luggage to bell services. After accomplishing that (bell services was very efficient in handling our bags for us, both when we arrived & now as we’re preparing to leave), it looks like the rain will be intermittent at worst. So we say our good byes to our room for one last time and walk down the steps to the bus stop.

The Studios bus pulls up pretty quickly & we’re off for the last park visit of this trip :crying: . Not very crowded, ‘cause the weather’s still not the greatest, and it’s already about 11:00. BUT, it is Star Wars Weekends, so we expect rather large crowds @ the park.

When we get off the bus, we put our ponchos on because the rain is still coming down, and we head straight for Star Tours. Although we’re not going to do very much of the Star Wars stuff, Drew does want to ride the ride so he can get into the Tattooine Traders shop (the last time we were there on a Star Wars Weekend, you could not get into the shop unless you had been on the ride). The stand by line showed 170 mins :eek: !!! I’m not sure that was correct because the FastPass return was only about 45 mins away, but we grabbed FPs anyway, and decided to eat lunch.

Back Lot Express had good burgers, and when we walked out, the rain had stopped. We decided to put our ponchos away for good—unless there came a torrential down pour, which didn’t look probable. We use our FPs for Star Tours, and after the ride make our way into the gift shop. Drew finds the one specific item that he’s had his mind on & as we’re exiting the shop discover that we could have very easily gone into the shop without riding the ride. Oh well. That was about the extent of our Star Wars Weekend activities for the day.

At this point we stroll back across the park for another ride on ToT. I think this one has become Emily’s favorite ride. We pick up FPs once again, then decide to catch a showing of the Little Mermaid. Not Drew’s favorite, but he’s a trooper & takes one for the team. We remind him that we’ve already done Star Tours just for him, and this is for Emily. Besides, it’s air conditioned, the seats are comfortable, and it’s really not that bad of a show—we’re alright.

After Ariel, we’re just in time for our ToT FPs so back up the hill we go. Just a great ride every time. :D

It’s getting on into the afternoon by this time, and we don’t want to chance missing Magical Express back to the airport. We stop for some Mickey ice cream treats, and browse in some shops along the way, then move on toward the front of the park. On the way we run into the afternoon parade. We saw it about 4 years ago, and it doesn’t look like a whole lot has changed, but it’s cute anyway. The kids love having up close views of the cars & characters.

We leave the park and have another uneventful and efficient ride on Disney transportation. I know some prefer to handle the traffic issues themselves, but not me. I drive enough when I’m @ home; I’ll let someone else drive when I’m on vacation.

Back @ CBR, we eat a quick dinner @ Old Port Royale using the final credits of our DDP (I still feel it’s a very good deal, and adds a whole lot of convenience) and make that short walk over to the Customs House. Bell Services has our bags back out to us quickly, and we have maybe a 10-15 min wait until the Magical Express bus pulls up to take us back to the airport.

Thus ends nine fantastic days @ WDW. I’ll add one more post with some final thoughts about the trip, but for now I have nothing but praise for all the CMs we encountered, the Disney Magical Express, Southwest Airlines, Disney Transportation, Caribbean Beach Resort, etc. :)

Thanks for a great trip report. I was just arriving as you were leaving.

Ellen

Thank you for the great trip report. :p

Ah, what a wonderful trip! Looking forward to your "final thoughts."

We love the CBR and our favorite part was when my son and I would walk over the bridge to get to OPR early in the morning for breakfast. Never saw many other people, once we were so early the shops portion doors were locked, but the music was playing, the birds were chirping, the fauna was wet and it was so special, like being in paradise. One of our other favorites was using the hammock to relax and chill at the end of a long day spent walking at the parks. Also, with the multiple pools they were never crowded.
Great trip report for a great trip. You are lucky-9 days is a lot to spend at WDW.

Some final thoughts … (the opinions expressed below represent only those of the author, and don’t necessarily reflect the opinions of … well , of anybody else;))

Walt Disney World is such an incredible place for a vacation. It is so much more than just a collection of theme parks. It is an all encompassing Disney environment. You arrive in the Disney environment long before you even get close to the park gates, and you’re still experiencing the “Disney” magic even after you exit the turnstiles—I speak as someone who stays on-site, and avails myself of all the Disney conveniences, such as transportation, meal plans, etc.

The Magic Kingdom continues to be my favorite park. It is large & majestic enough not to feel cramped even in crowded times. Cinderella Castle is so regal, dominates the skyline, and (dare I say it) awe inspiring. The SpectroMagic parade, as it glides down Main Street, circles in front of the castle, and works its way through the heavily themed streets of Frontierland is truly a Disney classic. This parade belongs in the Magic Kingdom. I’m not sure it would be the same anywhere else. The People Mover, or the Tomorrowland Transit Authority as it’s also known, is another attraction that I’m truly pleased is still around—I’m not exactly sure why, but I really enjoy it (as do the kids). Splash Mountain, Big Thunder, Peter Pan, Pirates, Space Mtn, Buzz Lightyear—need I say more?

Anyone who has not experienced the very unique approach to the Magic Kingdom really needs to do so at least once. There’s a lot more to the magic than simply driving down the freeway, turning into a parking area, taking a tram to the gate & entering. You truly feel that you have entered another world. After leaving the land of fast food restaurants, HoJos, Best Westerns, etc long behind, you arrive at the Ticket & Transportation Center—a transportation hub where you choose your conveyance for the remainder of your journey to the MAGIC KINGDOM. You can hop on the ferry and see your view of the castle grow larger as your ferry crosses the Seven Seas Lagoon. Or you can get on board the monorail for a futuristic voyage through the Contemporary Resort on your way. If I’m going to a Six Flags, or some similar park, I’m OK with the typical freeway/park/tram/gate process, but when I’m at DISNEY, I expect something different; something special. It’s all part of the all encompassing experience that IS Walt Disney World.

Epcot, as I mentioned previously, is quickly inching toward the MK on my favorites list. It is such a unique & beautiful park; combining the entertaining, the exhilarating & the educational. I could spend days exploring World Showcase. Mission:Space, I believe, is truly spectacular. I know there are some who don’t “get it” or even enjoy the sensations, but as someone who grew up a tremendous fan of the US space program, I find it highly enjoyable & entertaining. Test Track is another attraction that combines the entertaining with the exhilarating. Soarin’—in my opinion, is perhaps the single best attraction Disney has produced in the past couple dozen years (until Everest, but I’ll get there in a minute)—truly a “thrill” ride for all ages. And to tie it all up in a bow, Illuminations: Reflections of Earth. Words cannot describe the magnificence of this musical fireworks extravaganza. The musical score; the fireworks; the lasers; the lights; the fountains—A favorite of all favorites.

Studios or MGM or Pixar (?) or whatever. Getting better. Rock-n-Rollercoaster & The Tower of Terror are truly two of the best attractions that Disney offers. The Tower beckons to you from atop its isolated hill, drawing you into its highly detailed que that easily sets the stage for your visit to the Twilight Zone. The Aerosmith soundtrack of RnR is a fantastic example of classic rock-&-roll being used very effectively in an excellently designed thrill ride. And the stunt show, Lights, Motors, Action, is very good. Hadn’t seen it before this trip, and didn’t really know what to expect, but it was a lot of fun to watch. Beauty & the Beast, Live on Stage, just fantastic! Which brings us to: Fantasmic--an extremely high quality piece of entertainment that deserves its own amphitheater. As much as I love Illuminations in Epcot, I can’t help but wonder how much more I would love it if I did not have to stake out my claim to a small chunk of concrete long before the show began just to be able to see it. But while Illuminations would not be the same without the World Showcase as its backdrop, the enjoyment of Fantasmic truly benefits from having a specially designed theater.

Animal Kingdom—beginning to hit its stride. It is so much more than just animal exhibits (although those are pretty spectacular in & of themselves). In my opinion, Expedition Everest by itself is worth the price of admission to Animal Kingdom. I speak as someone who loves thrill rides, and especially loves the theming that Disney builds into them. I’m not overly impressed by bare steel/wood roller coasters regardless of how intense they may be, but Everest goes far beyond just being a roller coaster. It is an attraction that very nearly takes you on an actual expedition to the Himalayas. Kali River Rapids is fun. The safari ride is a different experience every time, and can be breath-taking. The Festival of the Lion King is magical.

Other fond memories include the Cast Members. I am continually impressed by their positive attitudes that I see everywhere, and their ability & desire to make every guest’s visit to Walt Disney World a magical one. Disney Transportation once again served us very well. As part of the big picture, it is extremely efficient & comfortable; and certainly more enjoyable than driving around the property myself. Disney resorts--the tremendous variety of themes offered, price ranges, etc. The beauty of the Polynesian, the excitement of the Boardwalk. My favorite, considering all factors, continues to be the Caribbean Beach Resort, but each & every one is just full of that special Disney magic.

But what continues to draw me back to Walt Disney World is the all encompassing Disney environment. Walt himself showed such fantastic vision & foresight in setting his World apart; in isolating it from the influx of the outside world that can so easily disrupt what should be total Disney immersion.

Nine days is a long time, but there’s still a lot that we haven’t done and would like to. Hopefully this will not be our last visit to Walt’s Florida Vacation Kingdom. Thanks for reading. :)

Great trip report. We were there over Memorial Day weekend and we were in some of the same parks on the same days.

Cool ... I prob'ly waved @ you w/out even knowing who you were, just because I felt that "Mouseplanet" vibe comin' my way ... :D

Lovely final thoughts. I agree with you 100%, which means you must be absolutely genius! :p

Thanks -- just loved your final thoughts -- summed up beautifully what a lot of us feel.

Wow! What a great report, Greg. You covered everything. Sounds like you and your family had a fabulous vacation. We stayed at the CBR on our recent (last week) vacation and agree...it's one of the best hotels on Disney property. We've also stayed at Pop Century - can't even compare to CBR!
Thanks for the excellent coverage!!

Great report, really enjoyed reading all of your information. These reports are keeping me going until I can FINALLY get there! Your final thoughts were the icing on the cake! Loved them!